Icke, 68, has been cycle racing since the age of 14 and is still churning out personal bests, having clocked 20min 14sec in a club 10 at Upton earlier this season.

Saturday’s test was nowhere near so quick, being partly held on the badly-surfaced “rumble strip” course along the B3347 south of Ringwood to Sopley then taking in Bransgore and finishing at North Kingston.

However his 22-23 was two seconds quicker than that of VC St Raphael’s Simon Berogna who in turn had four seconds in hand over Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers’ Dave Pickering.

Fourth place went to Berogna’s teammate Jake Prior and second claim New Forest CC member Martin Beale was the third counter in Raphael’s beer-winning team with 23-45.

New Forest CC successes were delivered by Nick O’Hara who took fifth place with 22-53 and Gary Lock, sixth just two seconds adrift with 22-55. Both excellent rides on what proved to be a sunny morning cooled by an increasing north-westerly breeze.

Seventh place went to Sotonia CC’s Stuart Martingale with 23-09, while Bransgore-based Bournemouth Jubilee veteran Cliff Rowe was eighth with 23-33.

New Forest CC riders Stuart Peckham and Geri Robinson both did cracking rides to take 12th and 13th positions with 24-28 and 24-38 respectively.

Julian Gee (Sotonia) and Geoff Clifton (Redhill CC) were second tandem pair with 25-43 from Sotonia’s John Radford and Nick Wisbey with 26-26.

There were just four non-starters from the total field of 53.

Proceeds from the event, including £25 donations and profits from the sale of refreshments, will go to Lymington’s Oakhaven Hospice.

Thanks to club president Roger Bacon for doing a great job as event secretary and start timekeeper, Margaret Gannaway and Barbara Jefferies for timekeeping at the finish, Margaret and Gerry Read for providing teas, coffees cakes and collecting the Oakhaven donations, the marshals and pusher-off John Jackson.

Club dinner and prize presentation

New Forest CC’s annual dinner and prize presentation will again take place at the Crown Hotel in Lyndhurst, so make a date in your diary for some excellent food and company on Saturday, November 17. Get there at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

But first, book your place(s) with Phil Underwood or Tom Butler, who are again organising the event jointly, by October 31. Tickets are the same price as last year: £26 each.

Speaker this year should be Eamonn Deane, who as well as running a great local cycling blog, has been working as masseur with the successful GB Paralympic squad this year. Eamonn is expected to confirm his attendance this coming week.

Turbo torture and base training begins November

Just when you thought the it was all over, the training sessions are just about to begin again.

Barry Wootten will be starting his weekly winter turbo training sessions in the clubroom at Tiptoe Church Hall on Wednesday, November 7 and he will give a presentation on base training at the clubroom on Friday, November 16.

So enjoy a break during October. You’ve deserved it.

Christmas lunch already being planned!

Plans are being made for the annual Christmas Lunch at Burley for December 16. It’s another great New Forest CC social event, so reserve a place early. Contact Roger Bacon on 01590 683265.